Astronomy

[trolls' bane]

I wish I could answer your questions satisfactorily myself, but I cannot.

But to the best of my abilities:
a. No. I am an empty-pocketed proletariat, and cannot afford such complex machines.
b. I don't think so. I've missed huge chunks of posts, and there are often times when I wish to go back and read them but always forget what they were.

Anyone else around to help answer?

[Rían]

I know there's references to astronomy ideas that JRRT had in his supplemental books (Histories of Middle Earth, etc.) but am too lazy to remember them now ...

Do you have any of the HoME books?

(and welcome to the Moot! I love astronomy, too!)

[Nurvingiel]

Originally Posted by trolls' bane

But to the best of my abilities:
a. No. I am an empty-pocketed proletariat, and cannot afford such complex machines.

I'd just like to say that you are completely awesome.

Empty-pocketed proletariat is complete genius at work.

I too am an empty-pocketed proletariat.


*returns thread*

[trolls' bane]

Originally Posted by Nurvingiel

I'd just like to say that you are completely awesome.

Empty-pocketed proletariat is complete genius at work.

I too am an empty-pocketed proletariat.


*returns thread*

Not as awesome as you. You're like the greatest--eh, what do you do for a living? Anyway, if I wasn't running, I'd vote for you. (And I just might, because it doesn't feel right voting for myself.)

[Jonathan]

There's a really nice total lunar eclipse this very moment. If you can see the moon tonight, have a look. I can see the eclipsed moon from my window.

[Nerdanel]

I'm so angry I missed that because of clouds.. >.< I hope you guys get to enjoy it, though!

[sisterandcousinandaunt]

Oh, well. Another time.

[Earniel]

Clouds here too, but with frequent openings. It looked kinda strange, a brown moon.

For those who missed it, there will be one in 2008 too. Only later into the night.

[Jonathan]

There will be another one in August too but most of us won't be able to see it since the eclipse takes place during the day.

I've seen lunar eclipses before but this time was the best because I didn't have to get up in the middle of the night to see the totality.

A shame all you guys had clouds!

[The Gaffer]

Yeah, clouds suck at eclipse time. It was a belter; the third one I've been lucky enough to see. We had a great view from our living room. Here's a bunch of pictures:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/6416721.stm

It really is a stunning sight, esp thru binoculars. You get a real sense of the moon as a 3d object floating in space, which, er, it is..

[trolls' bane]

Ah, kriff. I missed it. No one gave me the news until after.

[Earniel]

I'm not sure if you could have seen it in the first place. I don't where in the USA you live exactly, but only the eastern states would have been able to see the eclipse.

[Insidious Rex]

I saw it. Although my house is below the tree line so you had to really peer through and it gave it a really eerie look.

But on an unrelated note I found this little blurb in today’s paper interesting:

NASA: Tracking Asteroids Costly
WASHINGTON - NASA officials say the agency is capable of finding nearly all the asteroids that might pose a devastating hit to earth, but there isnt enough money to pay for the task so it wont get done.
The cost to find at least 90% of the 20,000 potentially hazardous asteroids and comets by 2020 would be about $1 billion, according to a report NASA will release later this week. The report was previewed Monday at a Planetary Defense Conference in Washington.

Hmmm.... so $1 billion over 12 years (which works out to $83 million a year which is about the cost of 2 hours in Iraq…) is WAY too much to spend on something that could allow us to avoid an event that could um... kill... all... human... life... on... earth... Yup! Makes sense to me! Gotta love our government! This whole space thing is for kiddies after all. Lets get down to real adult important issues shall we. There are bridges to nowhere we need to be funding! And tax breaks for the rich we need to defend!

Guess we can add this to the list along with stem cell research and global warming policies among other things. Anyone else in the world want to take this on please? Every minute counts...

[Rían]

cool moon pics!!!!

[trolls' bane]

Originally Posted by Insidious Rex

I saw it. Although my house is below the tree line so you had to really peer through and it gave it a really eerie look.

But on an unrelated note I found this little blurb in today’s paper interesting:



Hmmm.... so $1 billion over 12 years (which works out to $83 million a year which is about the cost of 2 hours in Iraq…) is WAY too much to spend on something that could allow us to avoid an event that could um... kill... all... human... life... on... earth... Yup! Makes sense to me! Gotta love our government! This whole space thing is for kiddies after all. Lets get down to real adult important issues shall we. There are bridges to nowhere we need to be funding! And tax breaks for the rich we need to defend!

Guess we can add this to the list along with stem cell research and global warming policies among other things. Anyone else in the world want to take this on please? Every minute counts...

You could say that again.

And weren't we supposed to return to the Moon ten years ago or something? Must be my imagination.

[The Gaffer]

Originally Posted by Insidious Rex

Hmmm.... so $1 billion over 12 years (which works out to $83 million a year which is about the cost of 2 hours in Iraq…) is WAY too much to spend on something that could allow us to avoid an event that could um... kill... all... human... life... on... earth... Yup! Makes sense to me! Gotta love our government! This whole space thing is for kiddies after all. Lets get down to real adult important issues shall we. There are bridges to nowhere we need to be funding! And tax breaks for the rich we need to defend!

Guess we can add this to the list along with stem cell research and global warming policies among other things. Anyone else in the world want to take this on please? Every minute counts...

Hear hear.

No reason why the US should have to foot all of the bill either; it is OUR problem after all.

$83 million a year which is about the cost of 2 hours in Iraq

Returning to the moon seems like a pointless waste of money to me.

[Jonathan]

Yesterday I found a sheet of paper from 2003 certifying I would get my name burnt onto a CD (along with thousands of other names). The CD would be mounted on NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft. In 2005 it smashed into the comet Tempel 1. By then I had forgotten my name was to tag along in the impact and I wasn't reminded until yesterday

Anyway! NASA's planning to send another rover to Mars. They are offering the public to submit their names to be included on a microchip on the robot. If anyone is interested, check out this link - Send Your Name to Mars.

There have been similar opportunities in the past to board one's name onto a NASA satellite.
The Kepler Telescope is already orbits the sun with a DVD full of names, as it looks for Earth-like planets.
The Glory satellite will bear a microchip with names when it launches in January next year to study Earth's climate.

This is my 3000th post!

[Earniel]

Heheh, my name crashed somewhere in the cosmos too. Although mine wasn't really supposed to. Alas, poor Mars Polar Lander. But this way I got to Mars first! Man, has it been a decade already?

And congrats on the 3000th post!

[Jonathan]

Originally Posted by Eärniel

Heheh, my name crashed somewhere in the cosmos too. Although mine wasn't really supposed to. Alas, poor Mars Polar Lander. But this way I got to Mars first!

That's unfortunate. But then, Sarah C. is indeed an anagram for a crash

[Earniel]

And was Deep Impact wearing a thong on it's moment de gloire?

I knew they should have put my name on the name disk, not in its command records!